


Swimming Lessons

by Enchantable



Category: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (TV)
Genre: Alice teaches him to swim, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Romance, or tries to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-18
Updated: 2013-10-18
Packaged: 2017-12-29 19:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchantable/pseuds/Enchantable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Knave--" she begins and her voice is thick. </p><p>His heart clenches because she calls him Knave most of the time. But from the moment they were in the water she's called him Will and he knows that this is her way of retreating. That her mind must be coming up with all sorts of excuses for why she just did what she did. It's just another reason his fingers splay across her back even as her hands soften in his soaked shirt. </p><p>"It's Will," he corrects and his voice comes out hoarse but strong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swimming Lessons

"I really don't think this is a good idea."

"You need to know how to do this Knave," she replies in her bossiest tone. 

Will knows this is a losing battle. He knows it, alright? When Alice brings out her bossy voice the world either falls in line or meets the pointy end of a sword and though neither of those sound appealing, he really doesn't want to be on the wrong end of a sword for the second time in a day. Especially not the wrong end of her sword. 

"Especially if you're going to go around breaking fairy's hearts," she mutters under her breath. 

"What was that?" he questions and she looks over her shoulder. 

"I said you need to learn how to do this," she repeats.

"Okay so lets do it," he says walking forward with more confidence than he feels. 

The water is a bright, bright blue. Like it's got a fire underneath it. They're in a cave and his mind's coming up with all the infinite ways this could go wrong, even though the water closest to them doesn't look like it's anywhere deep enough to go over his head. He hears the sound of laces being undone and his head snaps from the water to Alice, watching as she undoes the ties that keep her vest closed. She folds the garment neatly and puts it a bit father off than her blade which, Will reminds himself, he doesn't want to be on the wrong end of again.

It isn't until she goes for the ties on her shirt that he finds his voice. 

"Uh, what are you doing?" he asks. 

"Your clothes will just weigh you down," she says, practical to the end, "and we don't have anywhere to dry them," she continues, "you will splash a lot so put them back with mine."

He stares because she's continued to undo the laces of her shirt. She's got a camisole underneath it but it's thin and when it gets wet it definitely isn't going to do him any favors. She shrugs off the garment and puts it with her vest and with absolutely no ceremony goes for her pants. Will spins around because this is definitely not how he saw his night going and it sure as hell isn't how he wants things to play out. He puts a lot in to his control and that control is greatly helped by two things. So unless Alice starts screaming Cyrus at the top of her lungs he's going to be in serious trouble. He hears the fabric drop and squeezes his eyes shut, thinking of every disgusting thing he can imagine so that he doesn't focus on the fact that Alice's pants have just landed on her other clothes. 

"Are you coming Knave?" she asks and he hears her toes splash in the water. 

"I'm good here," he gets out. 

"You're going to make me swim alone?" Alice asks and there's undisguised amusement in her voice. 

"Yes because like I said I can't--" he begins and turns around just to trail off in to silence. 

The water is only up to her mid-thigh, leaving him with a vivid image of a lot of pale skin covered by very little fabric. Her head's turned towards him and when she smiles it's with such innocence and delight he kind of forgets how to breathe. He fists his hands in his pockets as she looks at him expectantly. Her eyes dart to her blade and he swears, his hands already going for his jacket. He drops his jacket and pulls off his jeans, kicking his shoes near hers until he's in his boxer briefs and his t-shirt. He does not want to do this. He does not. But his feet are already moving towards the water's edge, like if he just gets there and takes her hand he won't drown. 

Mentally he curses everything he can think of, especially Alice and her determination and his own stupid inability to say no to her. Come to Wonderland with me, fly with me and the fairy, help me find my boyfriend so I can be with him forever. And every freakin time he says yes. Because beautiful, determined Alice won't take no for an answer. Mentally he tries to focus on the wishes. he's going to get wishes and he can get everything he ever wanted. That's what he has to focus on. That's what--

"Bloody hell that's cold!" 

Alice laughs and the sound echoes around the cave as he swears at the cold water that laps at his feet. He goes to step back but Alice's hand grabs his wrist and holds him there. She's got surprisingly strong hands for a girl her size. They're calloused and rough and the grip on his wrist is like iron. She holds him steady as the cool water covers up to his ankles. As his feet adjust he's very aware of everything else. Like how hard his heart is pounding and everything else is shouting at him to get as far away from the water as he possibly can. As if she senses his mind, Alice's hand drops and threads their fingers together, giving his hand a tight squeeze. His eyes look down and then back up at her. 

"I really don't think this is a good idea," he repeats. 

"Come on Will," she says, "it'll be fun."

He swallows thickly because when she calls him Will that disgusting urge to give her the moon and the stars increases tenfold. He's as good as in the water and they both know it. Alice's smile widens as she hops off the rock, making sure that their hands are still tightly joined but she isn't pulling him down. The water comes up to her waist but splashes a bit higher and he forces himself to look up for a moment. It's the knowledge of his own reaction to the sight that has him sliding in to the water which thankfully comes up to his hips. He shudders because it's still bloody freezing but Alice doesn't seem affected. He wonders if that's a swimmer thing or just an Alice thing and decides it doesn't really matter. 

"Alright now the first thing we need to do is get you to float," she says, "lay back."

"Lay back?" he repeats, "have you lost your bloody mind?" he demands, "I'm not laying down in the water."

"I said down, Will, not back," she tells him patiently, "I'll help you," she adds as if that somehow will make it better. 

He bites his lip as the hand that isn't being clenched by his comes up his shoulders and settles just at the nape of his neck. The water trickles down his spine and he can just imagine what it would feel like if the droplets were her fingers, trailing from the nape of his neck down his spine, lower and lower and--

"Bloody hell," he repeats, though it's quickly becoming clear that the words don't nearly encompass the situation enough. 

She takes some of his weight as he leans back and when he's in the water her hands leaves his. His fingers itch to grab the digits back, but he holds himself steady and immediately regrets it as one hand settles right on the dimples of his lower back and the other goes somewhere near his knees. She pushes up gently, forcing his body near the surface and he takes shallow little breaths, not entirely because of the water. Her eyes rake his form with a clinical precision and he locks his eyes on the top of the cave and the stalactites that hang from it. The water paints a pattern on them and it's really rather lovely. Or it would be if Alice's hand wasn't lined up with the waistband of his underwear. He pushes back against her hand and she resist him, pushing his hips up.

"Good," she compliments and he decides that this is hell and he is being punished for his past sins. There is definitely no other explanation for this, "I'm going to let you go now," she says. 

"Please don't," he blurts out before he can stop himself. 

She smiles at him with such innocence that his already fragile heart feels like it's being crushed right there. One of her hands leaves his knee and comes next to his, fingers sliding through the water to lock with his. 

"I'll be right here," she promises and her hand drops from his lower body. 

He sinks like a stone. 

She dives forward and pushes him up at the same time he kicks out and they both tumble in to the deeper water. He manages to suck in a lungful of air and somehow cushions her as his shoulder smacks the rocks and then he's underwater. She twists in his embrace and somehow she's behind him, her arms locked underneath his as she kicks up and back. His feet scramble on the rocks as he finds his footing and she shoves him up. He sputters and shakes water from his eyes. He knows she's alright but the first place he looks is still her. Which is unnecessary because her hands are on his forearms, making sure he's steady. 

And for some reason his hands are at her waist. 

Well not some, he bloody knows the reason. Her camisole is wet under his fingers and after he looks at her to see she's alright, he winds up looking at her for another reason. The water rolls off her skin in tiny droplets and the pale fabric of her clothing has melted to the cream color of her skin. The hair that isn't caught up in her braid is plastered against her shoulders. When he finally drags his eyes up to hers she's looking at him. Like she's alright with being on display. Like he's supposed to be perverted enough to stare at her. Which he is, but he isn't happy about being that way. 

"I am so sorry," she begins and bites her lip. 

Except she isn't upset. 

She's trying not to laugh. 

"Bloody hell," he swears, his fingers tightening against her waist, "I told you I can't swim."

"I noticed," she says pressing her lips together which does nothing to hide the smile on her lips. 

"Oh go on then," he says and she dissolves in to laughter. 

His pride is only moderately wounded and only because he can feel the laugh reverberate in her through his palms. Alice's laugh, much like her bravery, is contagious. His pride holds him out for as long as it can before he gives in to the smile that's fighting to get out. Alice's hands move from his forearms to his shoulders and under the water he shifts his stance as her weight leans on him. She's laughing like she hasn't since their latest set back on their quest to find her precious boyfriend, a true, deep bellied laugh and some part of him can grudgingly admit a near death experience is alright if it gets her to laugh like that. 

When she pushes herself up, he knows he's still grinning and her laughter has been reduced to a melodic sound. She's stepped closer to him underwater, close enough so he can see where the water has darkened her eyelashes. Hell he can see each individual lash. Her fingers are on his shoulders and her weight is still pressed to him and he realizes that neither of them has moved. He doesn't think she can, he bloody knows that he can't. He searches her face for something--for anything that will tell him he's not losing his bloody mind. That the reason she can't move isn't because of the moss on the rocks or the threat of the deeper water just to the left. Her fingers dig in to the fabric of his shirt, and her throat works and when he chances it and tilts his head, they drag just a little bit down, like she's pulling him closer. 

"Will," she breathes his name in a way he's never heard before and what control he has goes out the window. 

He crushes their mouths together, his hands winding around her waist and he pulls her closer. She responds instantly, beautifully, with passion he shouldn't be surprised to find in a girl like her. The water's still cold on their skin but there's warmth there too. Warmth and the rapid pulse of her heart as their chests press together. Her fingers dig in to his shoulders and he pulls her even closer, like he's trying to shield her from everything with his body alone. She makes a little noise in the back of her throat and one of her hands snakes up to cup the back of his head, angling him where she wants him to be. He follows without a second of hesitation, ducking his head to press his lips to the column of her throat. She inhales like she's trying to hold herself together for as long as she can before her body melts against his. 

He holds her tighter as he kisses his way back to her lips and molds their mouths together. She meets him eagerly and, like everything else, it's a push-pull between them. He doesn't ever want the moment to end. Hell he'll freeze to death in the fucking water if that's what it takes to keep this going. Even so when she pulls back he lets her go, telling himself he's just holding her so she won't fall and if she pulls back from that too, he'll be strong enough to let her go. When he opens his eyes he focuses on her lips and lets himself have a stupid moment of pride for how red and swollen they are. For how much this has affected her. There's a tumble of emotion in her eyes and he wishes he could think this wasn't worth it, but no part of him is on board with that thought. Even when he feels her tense under his hands. He doesn't let her go though, he can't until she pulls away. 

"Knave--" she begins and her voice is thick. 

His heart clenches because she calls him Knave most of the time. But from the moment they were in the water she's called him Will and he knows that this is her way of retreating. That her mind must be coming up with all sorts of excuses for why she just did what she did. It's just another reason his fingers splay across her back even as her hands soften in his soaked shirt. 

"It's Will," he corrects and his voice comes out hoarse but strong. 

"Will," she repeats.

He is Will. He became Will when she got him his heart back. He's stayed Will throughout this entire bloody mess, as she's taught the dead thing in his chest how to feel again. Now it pulses under her hand, matching hers beat for beat and he's not one for perfect moments but this would be pretty close to that if he couldn't feel the tension in her shoulders. But she isn't moving. She has every opportunity to go, she knows he'll let her if she does. But she's rooted to the spot, their bodies still pressed together. So he acts purely on instinct and slides his hand just a little higher on her shoulder, splaying his fingers against the tight muscles and slowly digging in with his fingertips over the faint lines that have been beaten in to her skin. 

Her eyes slam shut as her lips part in surprise. He's never touched her like this and he's pretty sure no-one else has either. He feels her relax, and he's sure it's against her will as he pulls her closer. She moves forward and it's small but unmistakable. He wastes no time in ducking his head and kissing her again because he sure as hell isn't going to hesitate when it comes to that. His fingertips still as she sighs softly in to his mouth and he shifts his arm to make sure he can hold all of her. He tries to say all the words he keeps biting back with his mouth as she lets herself go soft against him. She trusts him. She bloody trusts him and he thinks he'd be terrified of fucking that up if everything wasn't going in to kissing her. 

This time she doesn't pull back, he does and he rests his forehead against hers. She keeps her eyes closed and this time there's no tension in her. Her fingertips press against his cheek, just below his lashes and he can't help but lean against her touch. He thinks she whispers her name at one point but he can't hear it over the pound of their hearts. A shiver that has only a bit to do with the cold water works up his spine. 

"Bloody hell, I can't feel my toes," he whispers. 

She laughs softly and he can't help but smile as he looks down at her. She pulls back and then pushes herself forward to twine her arms around his neck and fit their bodies together. 

"You can't get out of learning to swim," she says, her lips close to the shell of his ear. 

"Is that a fact?" he asks. 

"Yes it--Will!" she cries as he hooks an arm under her legs and pulls her off her feet. His feet are cold and the rest of him is too and right now he'd really just like to be warm. He holds her out of the water as he wades towards the rocks, "put me down!" she cries but there's mirth in her voice.

"No," he says, "I can't feel my toes and you're just going to make me bloody float again and I've had enough of that for one night," he says as he gets over to the rock and settles her on her feet, "we're getting out now." 

She glares at him but her hand shifts from his neck to grab his in a tight grip to help pull him out of the water. He pushes himself to his feet as they both go for their clothes. They change with their backs to each other, leaving the thin layers off. He waits until she turns around to do the same. He's going to have enough thoughts about what was under her camisole, he doesn't need to actually be a pervert too. When he turns she's much closer and before he has a chance to say anything she's pushed herself to her toes and pressed their mouths together. 

Her lips are cold against his and he kisses her until they feel warm. One of her hands finds it's way around his shoulders, the other presses over his heart as he wraps his around her waist and pulls up to help alleviate the difference in height. Then she pulls back and smiles at him. He rolls his eyes at her. 

"You going to do that every time you try to teach me how to swim?" he asks and can't quite keep the smile off his lips, "because that's going to make these lessons go very slowly."

She gives him a smile that makes him glad for the cold still on his skin.

"Then I guess you'll never know what happens when you learn to swim," she says and the innocence in her voice makes him groan. 

She might really be trying to kill him after all.


End file.
